All too often, a new executive director runs from their job screaming (or with the board screaming at them).

In fact, I’ve actually been known to congratulate executive directors who reach their two year anniversary by saying, “In my experience, those E.D.’s who last two years often enjoy successful tenures of 5 – 10 years.”

There are many reasons why some executive directors don’t succeed during their initial two years. And an unsuccessful executive director is never the fault of just the unfortunate person who takes a job only to leave it 15 months later.

To help understand how organizations can ensure a successful executive transition, we spoke with Kim Powell. Kim, who is with ghSmart, is a consultant and career coach who has advised CEOs and senior managers of Fortune 500 companies seeing transformational change through their corporate strategies.

A few of the highlights from our conversation include:

The 5 behaviors that make up the genome of a successful CEO genome

Preparing to move past an iconic or founding leader

Creating a 100-day launch plan and setup your new CEO for a successful tenure

About Successful Nonprofits Host Dolph Ward Goldenburg​

​​Dolph is recognized as a high performance leader in the nonprofit sector who served as a nonprofit CEO for a dozen years and a fundraiser for an additional ten years. Author of the book Successful Nonprofits Build Supercharged Boards, Goldenburg also founded a boutique consulting firm based out of Atlanta.